Oy! The Irony of Victoria Strauss Commenting on “Fake Positive” Book Reviews

We recently posted the article A.C. Crispin is Begging for “Volunteers” to Write Reviews for Her Books, we couldn’t help to note the irony of Victoria Strauss’ January 23, 2013 posting on Facebook.

Upon reviewing Victoria’s latest attempt at writing, Passion Blue (“Passion Blew”), speaking of “[f]ake postive reviews, the 15 Five Star Reviews are quite illuminating. Among the 15 Five Star Reviews who did we find? None other than Michael Capobianco! Yes, that Michael Capobianco . . . the notorious husband of Ann “A.C.” Crispin dishing out Five Star Reviews of Strauss’ Passion Blew! Just so you new authors are aware, Michael Capobianco is a former President of the SFWA. In addition, Capobianco also attempted to discredit our reporting of the C.E. Petit scandal regarding the John Steinbeck family (see below). (See  John Steinbeck Family Defrauded by Writer Beware™ & SFWA Attorney: The 2007 Scam that Writer Beware™ Didn’t Report . . . Why?) Intrestingly, the Five Star book review of Strauss’ book by Capobiano is the only book review he’s ever submitted on Amazon (see below  . . .  click on the images to enlarge).

Now, it gets even more disingenuous. Reviewing the remaining 14 Five Star Reviews most have not reviewed any other books . . .  just Strauss’ Passion Blew. As you page down further who do you find? Well, a Five Star Review from none other than . . . you guess it . . . Ann “A.C.” Crispin:

And . . . of course . . . Victoria Strauss couldn’t resist giving Ann “A.C.” Crispin a Five Star Review as well:

Granted they qualified their postings. However, as we stated in our A.C. Crispin is Begging for “Volunteers” to Write Reviews for Her Books posting, when you ask “friends” to write reviews about your book(s)  . . .  isn’t it disingenuous?

If their books were selling then the general public would be posting “genuine” reviews of their books . . .  not fabricated  (i.e. “fake positives”) reviews generated from “flying monkeys” at the behest of authors Ann “A.C.” Crspin and Victoria Strauss. Begging for book reviews? Oy!  . . . the hypocrisy! Authors don’t beg for reviews . . . if the work is good the general book buying public will evaluate it on its own merits. Crispin, Strauss & Capobianco should know better.

– – –

Related posting see:

James D. Macdonald Critical of Author Mark Davis; Throws Stones from His Own Glass House

Recent Postings by The Write Agenda

• Science Fiction Writers of America – Tax Returns – 2010, 2011 & 2012
• Tate Publishing & Enterprises, LLC Slams Author P.N. Elrod With a “Another” Cease & Desist Order
• Ann “A.C.” Crispin’s Resolution for 2013: “Try Even Harder to Stay Positive”
• “NEW” lawsuit against “Preditors and Editors”
• A.C. Crispin is Begging for “Volunteers” to Write Reviews for Her Books
• Yog’s Law – Revisited – The Issues with Yog’s Law

Why Victoria Stauss Should be Disqualified from the First Annual Independent Blogger Awards: Questions of Eligibility Remain Regarding the Meaning of “Independent”

ALERT: John Steinbeck Family Defrauded by Writer Beware™ & SFWA Attorney: The 2007 Scam that Writer Beware™ Didn’t Report . . . Why?

ALERT: Victoria Strauss Critical of Indie Authors Successes: The Voice of Envy

ALERT: (Posted 10/25/11) P.N. Elrod Claims Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers (SFWA) Has Hackers: Cyber Crime Incitement?

ALERT: (Posted 10/24/11) American Book Publishing: No Case, No Criminal Contact & No Legal Action Taken

ALERT: American Book Publishing “Investigation” Research Released: No Proof of Victoria Strauss’ Claims

The Write Agenda, The Right Company to Keep

Let’s start with the definition of “independent.”

•  Not influenced or controlled by others in matters of opinion, conduct, etc.; thinking or acting for oneself: an independent thinker.
• Not subject to another’s authority or jurisdiction; autonomous; free: an independent businessman.
•  Not influenced by the thought or action of others: independent research.
•  Not dependent; not depending or contingent upon somethingelse for existence.
•  Not relying on another or others for aid or support.
•  Not subject to another’s authority or jurisdiction; autonomous; free: an independent businessman.

According to the official contest rules, “Independent” is identified as:

 “Eligibility: The Contest is open to all Independent Bloggers of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, 18 years of age or older, who have an account with Goodreads. An “Independent Blogger” is defined as a person who has created and maintains an online blog that is not affiliated with and not compensated by any commercial or academic publication, but may include persons who blog for institutions, such as libraries and/or bookstores, but who do not represent any commercial media entity. Additional requirements for eligibility are that at least 75% of the content on the Independent Blogger’s site is devoted to coverage of books and/or the book publishing industry and that the Independent Blogger posted regularly, though not necessarily daily, during the period of February 1, 2011 – February 1, 2012 (‘Posting Time’). [Emphasis added.]

We all know that Writer Beware™ is in fact “ . . . sponsored by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America with additional support from the Mystery Writers of America,” and that “ . . . Writer Beware ® is an officially registered service mark of SFWA.” We further know that there are in fact three (3) “contributors” to this site: 1) Victoria Strauss; 2) Ann “A.C.” Crispin and 3) Richard White. In addition, the site is listed as: accrispin.blogspot.com not victoriastrauss.blogspot.com. Independent?

  

Writer Beware™ contributor Ann “A.C.” Crispin “thanked [Charles E. Petit] for his help with the SFWA Writer Beware website.” She didn’t thank Victoria Strauss for creating an “independent” blog.

Lastly, Writer Beware™ and writerbeware.com are both registered to the SFWA, not Victoria Strauss “independently.” As mentioned above, the site is also “sponsored by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America with additional support from the Mystery Writers of America.” [Emphasis added.] Victoria Strauss resides in Amherst, MA and not in Chestertown, MD.

 We fail to see how any of this would lead a reasonable person that to construe Writer Beware™ is the “independent” blog site of Victoria Strauss. However, leave it to SFWA President, John Scalzi, to help clarify this for all of us. How? Simply call Victoria Strauss the “proprietor” of Writer Beware™.  To wit:

“The Writer Beware blog has been devoted for years to exposing scams aimed at writers, and now that work has paid off: The blog and its proprietor Victoria Strauss have won the Independent Book Blogger Award in the category of  ”Publishing Industry.” [Emphasis added.] Ironic statement to make when the evidence illustrates otherwise.

–         John Scalzi,  May 21, 2012

 

Now let’s look at the definition of “proprietor.”

 1.    the owner of a business establishment.

2.    a person who has the exclusive right or title to something.

 Again, based on the evidence herein, we fail to see anything that could establish Victoria Strauss as a proprietor, an owner or anything that grants her any exclusive rights. By definition, “independent blogger” has not been effectively established to grant Victoria Strauss this award. Moreover, an “independent” audit of the postings, during February 1, 2011 – February 1, 2012, were not all the “independent” work of Victoria Strauss.

 Now for the contest itself? The Contest terms required that entrants submit five blog posts, on which judging was conducted for writing ability, design, presentation and reader engagement.  Finalists’ submissions were voted on by the general public and, then, industry experts chose the four winners. Now just who were these “industry experts”? Doesn’t transparency require that they be identified? [UPDATE 05/23/12: The Write Agenda has discovered that the announcement of the “recipients” was two-weeks late.]

 Charlie Petit, Victoria Strauss’ “favorite shark,” questioned the voting process that GoodReads and The Association of American Publishers engaged in for these nominations. To wit:

“The nomination and voting process is so grievously flawed (even if much less so than for the Hugos) that it’s not fair to the other nominated works — and even to nonfinalist works — to say “winner”… and thereby imply that all of the works except that one votegetter are “losers”. One cannot even be certain that all of the voters have read even the finalists (or any finalists), let alone widely enough among other works to trust their judgment.” [Emphasis added.]

 

We, The Write Agenda™, have to agree with Charlie Petit. Everything here is very grievously flawed; from the voting to the inclusion of Victoria Strauss as an “Independent Blogger.” The definition of “independent” has not been met and as a result Victoria Strauss should be disqualified for the reasons that question her eligibility. Moreover, there were numerous other sites that are within the meaning of “independent” and are devoid of external control and influence. We believe that there are other “independent bloggers” that are more deserving of this award than Victoria Strauss. Writer Beware™ is in no way “independent” and fails to meet the required “Contest Terms.” Considering how Victoria Strauss was catapulted into this award by “industry experts” . . .  it’s nothing more than literary masturbation and institutional incest.

This is truly a travesty  . . .  are you seriously going to honor and reward this type of conduct? Based on the recent discoveries and the challenges to Strauss’ fact-finding, we believe that two things should be encouraged to happen: 1) you should rescind the award and/or 2) Strauss should be encouraged to reject the award. 

 

References

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/independent

http://www.goodreads.com/book_blogger_award/terms

http://accrispin.blogspot.com

https://thewriteagenda.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/john-steinbeck-family-defrauded-by-writer-beware-sfwa-attorney-the-2007-scam-that-writer-beware-didnt-report-why/

http://www.networksolutions.com/whois-search/writerbeware.com

http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/05/21/writer-beware-wins-blogging-award/

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/proprietor

http://scrivenerserror.blogspot.com/

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”  – Albert Einstein

The Write Agenda by The Write Agenda is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on all work at thewriteagenda.wordpress.com. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://thewriteagenda.wordpress.com.

© The Write Agenda, 2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from The Write Agenda is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to The Write Agenda with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. You must attribute the work in the manner specified by The Write Agenda (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work). Please contact The Write Agenda for sample attributions.

Absolute Write (MacAllister Stone) . . . is it ran out of a rental storage unit? Are Authors Paying the Rent via Google Ads?

McAllister Stone, the primary “officer” at Absolute Write and a defendant in the Bauer vs. Glatzer case  appears to have listed her residence, in the lawsuit brought against her by Literary Agent, Barbara Bauer as 8911 Vernon Rd., M-#165, Everett, WA 98205. Information obtained by The Write Agenda appears to indicate that what she has listed as her residence — is in fact a storage unit at Frontier Village Mini Storage! What say YOU Ms. Stone?

“An Author site/blog using Google ads to generate revenue from authors probably isn’t anyone you want to read.”

– The Write Agenda

Further Reading

Accusations Regarding Macallister Stone and Absolute Write: Google Ad Revenue May be Coming From Authors

References

https://www.eff.org/sites/default/files/filenode/wikimedia/BauerSecondAmendedComplaint.pdf

http://www.frontiervillagestorage.com/location.htm

http://www.superpages.com/bp/Everett-WA/Frontier-Village-Mini-Storage-L1536643.htm

http://bgp.he.net/dns/macallisterstone.com#_whois

https://thewriteagenda.wordpress.com/2011/09/23/accusations-regarding-macallister-stone-and-absolute-write-google-ad-revenue-may-be-coming-from-authors/

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”  – Albert Einstein

The Write Agenda by The Write Agenda is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on all work at thewriteagenda.wordpress.com. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://thewriteagenda.wordpress.com.

© The Write Agenda, 2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from The Write Agenda is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to The Write Agenda with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. You must attribute the work in the manner specified by The Write Agenda (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work). Please contact The Write Agenda for sample attributions.

Writer beware Ann Crispin Victoria Strauss The Write Agenda Passion Blue Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers SFWA John Scalzi Making Light Catherine Schaff-Stump cath best sellers thumbs down ac crispin a.c. crispin The burning land The awakened city The Garden of the Stone Guardian of the hills The Arm of the Stone Absolute Write Water Cooler Preditors & Editors Dave Kuzminski Jenna Glatzer James D. Macdonald Prof. Jim Fisher A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing A Writer’s Life Author! Author! BookslutBooksquare Buzz, Balls, & Hype Dear Author GalleyCat How Publishing Really WorksMaking Light Passive Voice PersonaNonData POD, Self-Publishing and Independent Publishing The Book Publicity Blog The Query Project The Rejecter The Rejectionist The Synopsis Project Anna Louise Genoese Behler Blog Editorial Anonymous Editorial Ass Evil Editor Ashley Grayson Book Cannibal BookEnds Chip MacGregor Crowe’s Nest Dystel & Goderich Janet Reid Jennifer Jackson John Jarrold Lucienne Diver Nathan BransfordNoah Lukeman Pub Rants Rachelle Gardner The Knight Agency The Swivet The Zack Company Absolute Write Water Cooler Agent Research & Evaluation AgentQuery.comAuthor Assist Backspace Cynthia Leitich Smith’s Children’s and YA Resources Preditors & Editors Publishers Marketplace Query Shark QueryTracker The Rejectionist Writing-World.com Starbridge

Quote of the day: “How many times have we stated that the truth is hard to find if you lie?”

“How many times have we stated that the truth is hard to find if you lie? Over the years web-site such as writer-beware , Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America , Preditors & Editors have engaged in actions that are terroristic in nature. They have become the neighborhood bullies. They have a small following of fans who believe everything that is posted on their web-sites. These fans in turn then re-post the allegations as if it was the truth. Half truths, alleged actions, false accusations, outright lies about agents and publishing companies. While their foundation and original mission may have been based on the truth and facts supporting their complaints, they have gone to the dark side of the moon. They need the sensation of the half truths and lies to keep interest in their web-sites. They NEVER post facts……..because there are none. They engage in vicious gossip and rumors. While some of the complaints might be true, they are obscured by the volume of nasty personal venting of false statements. They are not looking for truth, they’re inventing it to suit their personal agenda. All writers, authors need to do the research, look towards a professional site that posts verifiable facts, NOT personal opinions disguised as facts. The truth is not hard to prove if you don’t lie.”

Source: Christian Story Teller

Source: http://www.christianstoryteller.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=263:its-time-to-warn-christian-authors-about-smashwords-the-web-site-and-its-owner-mark-coker

“An Author site/blog using Google ads to generate revenue from authors probably isn’t anyone you want to read.”

– The Write Agenda

ALERT: John Steinbeck Family Defrauded by Writer Beware™ & SFWA Attorney: The 2007 Scam that Writer Beware™ Didn’t Report . . . Why?

Posted 10/24/11: American Book Publishing: No Case, No Criminal Contact & No Legal Action Taken

 PROPAGANDA ALERT: American Book Publishing “Investigation” Research Released: No Proof of Victoria Strauss’ Claims

Victoria Strauss Reaches 666 Facebook Fans: The Satanic Association is Worth Noting

Victoria Strauss Critical of Indie Authors Successes: The Voice of Envy

Christian Story Teller Asks: “Victoria Strauss, what is she doing to her reputation?”

Victoria Strauss Drops F-Bomb . . . Again: The F****** Lack of Class Continues

Bauer vs. Glatzer et. al. – Summary of Allegations Against the Named Defendants

The Price of Loyalty to Crispin, Macdonald & Strauss: Participating in Propaganda Leads to Low Amazon Sales Rankings

21 Reasons to Not Trust Victoria Strauss

Ann Crispin: “The Write Agenda . . . It’s a Hate Site . . . ” Weinerdogs Convey Their Vileness to Recent Walt Disney Inquiry

Victoria Strauss Drops F-Bomb, Ann “A.C.”Crispin Thinks it’s OK: How Publishing Watchdogs Demonstrate Their Arrogance and Supremacy for Standards

Victoria Strauss: The Anthony Weiner Scandal is a BS Story; Weinerdog Still Shows no Compunction for the Truth

The Video: Amherst Nights: An Animated Interview with Victoria Strauss

Victoria Strauss Goes from “Watchdog” to “Weinerdog” – How the Selective Use of Research Material Can Damage Your Reputation: Victoria Strauss Cites another Police Investigation Regarding a Publisher . . . This Time it’s Correct and TRUE!

American Book Publishing “Investigation” Research Released: No Proof of Victoria Strauss’ Claims

A Note to New Authors . . . is Victoria Strauss Lying?

Victoria Strauss, Throwing Stones from a Glass House?

Letter to the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America

Victoria Strauss, Running From Demons . . .

Victoria Strauss Continues to Evade Questions Regarding “Investigation”

Pressure on Victoria Strauss to Address “Investigation” Continues

Searching the “Elsewheres” – The Strauss Paradox: How the Validation of the Author has Changed

UPDATED: April 4, 2011 – Boycott & Petition, Victoria Strauss’ Books: Request to Reveal Evidence of “Investigation”

What was Victoria’s Motivation? Missing Pieces to the Puzzle

Victoria Strauss Titles, Current & Lifetime Amazon Sales Rankings

Update – April 21, 2011: Victoria Strauss Claims Amazon Rankings Are Not A Reliable Sales Indicator

Updated, April 21, 2011 – American Book Publishing, “Police Investigation” Victoria Strauss Fairy Tale?

COMING SOON: American Book Publishing, Was There a “Police Investigation” or is this a Victoria Strauss Fairy Tale?

Writer Beware: Who’s not minding the forum? Boobs, Bras & Panties?

The Write Agenda by The Write Agenda is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on all work at  thewriteagenda.wordpress.com. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://thewriteagenda.wordpress.com.

© The Write Agenda, 2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from The Write Agenda is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to The Write Agenda with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. You must attribute the work in the manner specified by The Write Agenda (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work). Please contact The Write Agenda for sample attributions.

Barbara Bauer Editorial: “Why hasn’t Jenna Glatzer exposed the scamming of America’s Literary Icon on her blog?”

Editorial: Why hasn’t Jenna Glatzer exposed the scamming of America’s Literary Icon on her blog?

http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Barbara.Bauer.Literary.Agency.917-683-3403/newsletter/106147

ALERT: John Steinbeck Family Defrauded by Writer Beware™ & SFWA Attorney: The 2007 Scam that Writer Beware™ Didn’t Report . . . Why?

“An Author site/blog using Google ads to generate revenue from authors probably isn’t anyone you want to read.”

– The Write Agenda

Bauer vs. Glatzer et al

Make a Statement About the Selective Reporting of Publishing Scams: Support Nancy Steinbeck

ALERT: John Steinbeck Family Defrauded by Writer Beware™ & SFWA Attorney: The 2007 Scam that Writer Beware™ Didn’t Report . . . Why?

PRICE DROP: $13.19 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25.

Kindle Edition

“An Author site/blog using Google ads to generate revenue from authors probably isn’t anyone you want to read.”

– The Write Agenda

“I understand all the reasons for having “private” SFWA forums, but having been a member on and off (currently on) for well over a decade, I’ve gradually come to the conclusion that the downside of it far outweighs the positives. SFWA has become a cult, dedicated first and foremost to the preservation of the cult. It has increasingly little to do with creativity, commerce, or the actual business of science fiction.”

– Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Husband of TERESA NIELSEN HAYDEN

Blogger Get’s it Wrong: Amazon Sales Rankings are Valuable Metrics if Benchmarked over Time

“Uh, the Amazon Sales Ranking? That completely useless metric of book sales . . . . In other words, it means nothing. It’s a hourly popularity contest. If someone buys 100 copies of my book, my Amazon ranking will shoot way up for that hour then fall again.”

 –      From an Author’s Blog

The author of this quote (above) would like readers to conclude that The Write Agenda is “wrong” regarding its use of Amazon Sales Rankings. However, in fairness, it is true that Amazon Sales Rankings are updated every hour. Also, Amazon Sales Rankings are only one benchmark in measuring the success of an author and his/her book(s). We’ve never claimed that Amazon Sales Rankings are the exclusive resource; it’s a valuable tool and nothing more.

The Write Agenda’s use of the Amazon Sales Ranking data is not an hourly process. The data is measured over time (weeks and months) for consistency to establish a history for a particular book. For example, Author Anna Mara’s Her Perfect Revenge, published by Outskirts Press, was listed at #1 on our Author Watch – Best Sellers List for 12 weeks straight.  The Amazon Sales Ranking were: 81, 82, 86, 81, 107, 190, 228, 271, 334, 472, 572, and 961. In addition, Author Anna Mara’s Her Perfect Revenge, while no longer at #1, has continued to remain on the Author Watch – Best Sellers List since that time and consistently performs within our guidelines. Dr. Laurence B. Brown’s The Eighth Scroll, published by BookSurge Publishing, was #1 six (6) times.  Moreover, there are numerous examples of other authors books that are consistent performers on our Author Watch – Best Sellers List. We would also be remiss not to mention that many of these successful authors, to the dismay of Writer Beware™, are in fact published by entities listed on their so-called “Thumbs Down” list. The significant difference here is that 100’s of books are being sold beyond the “hour” window. In the spirit of Yog’s Law, money is flowing to these authors . . . as it should. The difference is that they have written good books that people want to read.

 We find it ironic that the author of the quote above would even make such an intransigent statement as this. Upon a cursory review of this particular author’s book sales data we discovered, as expected, some very dismal sales data. A book that he published in 2002 has a current sales ranking of 10,269,826 with one (1) 4-Star review. There was a subsequent book, published in 2004, that has no sales data available or any reviews. Therefore, it appears unlikely that his Amazon Sales Rankings will change anytime soon. Unless, of course, “[if] someone buys 100 copies of [his] book.” Just as bad spellers always say that “bad spelling has nothing to do with intelligence,” bad authors with bad books will always say: “Amazon Sales Rankings are a completely useless metric of book sales.” These comments were posted by this author with the intention of defending Victoria Strauss (see Victoria Strauss Critical of Indie Authors Successes: The Voice of Envy). Victoria Strauss has continued to downplay the significance of Amazon Sales Rankings as well. While many view our Boycott List as an opportunity to boost their book sales, the placement of Victoria Strauss on our Boycott List has not improved her Amazon Sales Rankings. Again, this is historical data and not an “hourly” measurement of Victoria Strauss’ Amazon Sales Rankings:

THE VICTORIA STRAUSS TITLES – AMAZON SALES RANKINGS

 Guardian of the Hills

Current Rank	7-Day Average	30-Day Average	90-Day Average	Lifetime Average	Best Rank	Worst Rank
5,884,506	5,850,367	5,779,492	5,598,080	5,838,144	335,805	7,800,304

Worldstone

Current Rank	7-Day Average	30-Day Average	90-Day Average	Lifetime Average	Best Rank	Worst Rank
3,825,886	3,458,585	2,662,751	4,980,576	6,106,142	109,084	7,793,756

The Burning Land

Current Rank	7-Day Average	30-Day Average	90-Day Average	Lifetime Average	Best Rank	Worst Rank
2,252,986	2,192,183	1,955,658	1,748,220	1,515,424	77,905	2,277,598

Awakened City

Current Rank	7-Day Average	30-Day Average	90-Day Average	Lifetime Average	Best Rank	Worst Rank
2,141,490	2,010,611	1,536,556	1,996,144	1,810,186	99,275	2,586,300

The Arm of the Stone

Current Rank	7-Day Average	30-Day Average	90-Day Average	Lifetime Average	Best Rank	Worst Rank
422,782	2,145,811	2,119,431	1,876,787	1,424,559	75,797	2,158,066

The Garden of the Stone

Current Rank	7-Day Average	30-Day Average	90-Day Average	Lifetime Average	Best Rank	Worst Rank
350,363	326,903	276,467	268,780	225,359	31,606	377,630

 Let’s take this opportunity to review the Amazon Sales Ranking metric once more. Again, Amazon Sales Rankings are only one of the numerous benchmarking tools.  There is a logical mathematical equation that proves that there is more validity in actual science (and proofs) versus mere rhetorical and salvation-based opinion. The equation can convert the Amazon Sales Rank into the actual number of sales on a weekly basis. The formula is:

Sales/week = e to the power (10.526-(.87*sales rank)

To put this into an Excel spreadsheet: =EXP(10.526-(0.87*LN(rank)))

This data has been actually vetted by four scientific studies that reviewed 1000’s of various titles. In addition, the authors of these studies found a direct and predicable relationship between the Amazon Sales Rankings and the actual Ingram sales data. In conclusion, Amazon Sales Rankings are a valid benchmark to measure and predict your book sales. Don’t be convinced by rhetorical statements, ignorant conjecture or opinions when scientific evidence is readily available. This is science not Science Fiction. Amazon is the world’s #1 online bookseller.

Rank	Copies Sold/day
1	3000
10	650
100	100
1000	13
10,000	2.2 (11 copies every 5 days)
100,000	0.2 (1 copy every 5 days)
1,000,000	0.006 (3 copies every 500 days)
2,000,000	0.0001 (1 copy every 1000 days)

References

“Power Law Converting Amazon Sales Ranks to Units Sold « Nimble Books LLC.” Nimble Books LLC. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.nimblebooks.com/wordpress/2006/06/power-law-converting-amazon-sales-ranks-to-units-sold/&gt;.

“Why Your Self-Publishing Service Probably Didn’t Cheat You.” Writer Beware™ Blogs! Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2011/03/why-your-self-publishing-service.html&gt;.

“Wired Blogs.” The Long Tail. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://longtail.typepad.com/the_long_tail/2005/08/amazon_methodol.html&gt;.

The Write Agenda by The Write Agenda is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on all work at  thewriteagenda.wordpress.com. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://thewriteagenda.wordpress.com.

© The Write Agenda, 2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from The Write Agenda is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to The Write Agenda with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. You must attribute the work in the manner specified by The Write Agenda (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work). Please contact The Write Agenda for sample attributions.

Victoria Strauss Critical of Indie Authors Successes: The Voice of Envy

“Isn’t this precious? If The Write Agenda randomly adds you [sic] its so-called ‘untraditionally published authors best seller list,” you can now download your very own badge. (Where’s the badge for the boycotted author list?? I want one.)”

– Victoria Strauss,  Facebook Page & Absolute Write Posting

Is it just us or is Victoria Strauss envious of the authors on our Best Sellers list?  Actually, read the Victor Strauss quote and pretend that you are hearing it in Audrey Hepburn’s voice  . . .  priceless. It would actually be more “precious” to have the opportunity to put Victoria Strauss on the Best Sellers List. . . but we can’t. We’ve tracked her books for months and they continue to rank in the gutter. P.N. Elrod has claimed that every time she appears on The Write Agenda’s Boycott List she gets a jump in her sales. While we would like to take credit for that, we’ve been on Victoria Strauss’ books since day one and there’s never been any indication . . . ever . . . that this has helped her sales. None of Victoria Strauss’s books  have ever in their lifetime broken the 10,000 Amazon Sales Ranking. We find it increasing interesting that these Weinerdogs continue to downplay the significance of Amazon Sales Rankings, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the decision of police authorities to not investigate their purported claims. (See: Blogger Get’s it Wrong: Amazon Sales Rankings are Valuable Metrics if Benchmarked over Time). Precious? Victoria Strauss  gives a lot of attention to The Write Agenda  doesn’t she? Why is that? You decide.

Indie authors rise up! Don’t let Victoria Strauss trash your success. Please feel to send your comments to our attention. Ridicule . . .  more . . . more ridicule of Victoria Strauss! Post your badge proudly . . .  you have earned it! There’s nothing “random” about it.

THE VICTORIA STRAUSS TITLES – AMAZON SALES RANKINGS

 Guardian of the Hills

Current Rank	7-Day Average	30-Day Average	90-Day Average	Lifetime Average	Best Rank	Worst Rank
5,884,506	5,850,367	5,779,492	5,598,080	5,838,144	335,805	7,800,304

Worldstone

Current Rank	7-Day Average	30-Day Average	90-Day Average	Lifetime Average	Best Rank	Worst Rank
3,825,886	3,458,585	2,662,751	4,980,576	6,106,142	109,084	7,793,756

The Burning Land

Current Rank	7-Day Average	30-Day Average	90-Day Average	Lifetime Average	Best Rank	Worst Rank
2,252,986	2,192,183	1,955,658	1,748,220	1,515,424	77,905	2,277,598

Awakened City

Current Rank	7-Day Average	30-Day Average	90-Day Average	Lifetime Average	Best Rank	Worst Rank
2,141,490	2,010,611	1,536,556	1,996,144	1,810,186	99,275	2,586,300

The Arm of the Stone

Current Rank	7-Day Average	30-Day Average	90-Day Average	Lifetime Average	Best Rank	Worst Rank
422,782	2,145,811	2,119,431	1,876,787	1,424,559	75,797	2,158,066

The Garden of the Stone

Current Rank	7-Day Average	30-Day Average	90-Day Average	Lifetime Average	Best Rank	Worst Rank
350,363	326,903	276,467	268,780	225,359	31,606	377,630

ALERT: (Posted 10/25/11) P.N. Elrod Claims Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers (SFWA) Has Hackers: Cyber Crime Incitement?

ALERT: (Posted 10/24/11) American Book Publishing: No Case, No Criminal Contact & No Legal Action Taken

ALERT: American Book Publishing “Investigation” Research Released: No Proof of Victoria Strauss’ Claims

The Write Agenda by The Write Agenda is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on all work at thewriteagenda.wordpress.com. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://thewriteagenda.wordpress.com.

© The Write Agenda, 2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from The Write Agenda is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to The Write Agenda with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. You must attribute the work in the manner specified by The Write Agenda (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work). Please contact The Write Agenda for sample attributions.

P.N. Elrod Claims Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers (SFWA) Has Hackers: Cyber Crime Incitement?

“P.n. Elrod: I find it hilarious that they call for honesty and disclosure, yet won’t own up to their own names. They know they’re being libelous and open to litigation. Too bad for them. There is no privacy on the Internet. If the people they’re trying to smear–that includes me–REALLY wanted to go after them it wouldn’t take ten minutes for one of our hacker friends to bust them flat. Newsflash, Write Agenda: SFWA is full of computer-savvy geeks who love a challenge .”

– P.N. Elrod, Facebook Page

We find it less than “hilarious” that Author P.N. Elrod would encourage (or suggest) members of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) to actively engage in cyber crime. The mere suggestion that  the “SFWA is full of computer-savvy geeks who love a challenge” and would only need “ten minutes” to hack an account should be taken as a serious threat by all concerned parties. Moreover, while P.N. Elrod is not an officer of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA), she readily waves the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) flag on behalf of the “computer-savvy” “hacker friends” that are apparently salivating for an illegal cyber “challenge.” We would certainly love to know whether this potential incitement (to engage in the active violation of both state and federal laws) is endorsed by the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association’s (SFWA’s) President, John Scalzi and the other officers.

What say you, John? It is exactly these kinds of postings, from your members, that only serve to embarrass the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) further. While we have engaged in criticism of your organization and some of its members (albeit satirical at times), we have neither encouraged nor suggested that our followers violate state and federal law. P.N. Elrod’s comments are over the top and will rightly cause interested parties to perceive the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) as a potentially subversive organization. Mr. Scalzi, it’s time to man up, get your house and membership in order before the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) really gets in predicament where a real “investigation” is conducted.

We will take this as a credible threat and accordingly will share it with the appropriate authorities.

References

http://www.facebook.com/p.n.elrod?sk=wall

http://www.cybercrime.gov/reporting.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_computer_criminals

The Write Agenda by The Write Agenda is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on all work at thewriteagenda.wordpress.com. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://thewriteagenda.wordpress.com.

© The Write Agenda, 2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from The Write Agenda is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to The Write Agenda with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. You must attribute the work in the manner specified by The Write Agenda (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work). Please contact The Write Agenda for sample attributions.

© The Write Agenda 2011.

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BAUER VS. GLATZER

BAUER VS. GLATZER